I believe our story is part of our spiritual path, and that our spiritual path is inseparable from our story.

During my inner conflict as a fitness trainer, I did sense that something was wrong with my thoughts, behavior, and my life in general, but I had no idea that the pressure to be fit was directly linked to an unhealthy desire to please others based on past experiences and conditioning. What keeps us repeating the same mistakes and suffering unnecessarily is precisely our inability to address our negative past as stories. They can help us better our lives if give attention with courage and kindness. We can learn to perceive all past experiences, without judgment, blame, or guilt, as references for what not to reproduce in the present and future.